Journal box packing unit



July 19, 1955 I ,1. T. HAGY 2,713,524

JOURNAL BOX PACKING UNIT Filed May 6, 1954 1, 5

INVENTOR Jo H I HAsY ATTORNEYS Unitec JGURNAL BOX PAKLWG UNITApplication May 6, 1954, Serial No. 428,040

13 Claims. (Ci. 3ii888) This invention relates to journal lubrication,and more particularly to a device for lubricating the journal boxes ofrailway rolling stock and other similar journals,

The provision of an effective and economical means for lubricating thejournals of railway cars is an important problem in the railwayindustry, since inadequacy of such lubrication is a limiting factor onthe practical speeds and length of non-stop hauls. In the earlydevelopment of the art most railway journals were lubricated by packmgmasses of yarn saturated with fluid lubricant into the journal box sothat the lubricant would be supplied to the journal and bearing surfacesby capillary action. These waste and yarn packings however, were subjectto what is known in the trade as waste grab, whereby portions of thepacking are caused to climb the journal and become compacted under thebearing at one side, thereby preventing the proper supply of lubricantto the bearing.

Such waste grab is principally caused by distortion and bunching of thewaste or yarn packing on sudden jarring of the car, as in sudden startsor stops, at which time the journal is displaced relative to the car andjournal box. This displacement distorts the packing and causes it tobunch unevenly on one side of the journal box, so that the rotatingjournal sweeps up portions of the packing to compact it at one side ofthe bearing thereby cutting off the oil supply. This phenomena isemphasized by the existence of rough spots and microscopic projectionson the revolving journal which aid it in forcing portions of the packinginto engagement with the bearing. When the waste or yarn becomescompacted against the bearing in such a manner, its surface soon becomesglazed and hardened and this terminates the flow of lubricant to thebearing.

A further difficulty experienced with the hitherto used yarn and wastepackings has been their lack of ability to prevent dirt and dust andother foreign matter from gaining access to the journal and bearingsurfaces. Where such foreign matter reaches the journal and bearingsurfaces it tends to score the same and also tends to clog the junctureof the journal and bearing, thereby wiping oil off the journal so thatit cannot reach and properly lubricate the bearing.

Attempts to overcome these inherent disadvantages of waste and yarnlubricating packings led to the adoption of devices utilizing oil andacid resistant rubber sponges, and oil resistant'synthetic sponges. Anexample of such sponge lubricating units may be found in United StatesLetters Patent No. 2,138,971 issued on December 6, 1938, to Keller etal., No. 2,291,483 issued on July 20, 1952, to Miller, and No. 2,571,235issued October 16, 1951 to Hamer.

While the use of such sponges overcame certain of the disadvantageswhich had been encountered with the yarn and waste packings, it was soonfound that the sponges themselves were possessed of certain inherentdrawbacks.

Patent 0 2,?l3,524 Fair-enter July 19, 1955 Thus the known oil resistantsponge materials do not have suflicient capillarity to raise an adequatesupply of lubricant to the journal, and they further have a tendency tocrumble and break which makes them difficult to install and remove. Thistendency to crumble and break also causes the introduction into thelubricating oil of small sponge particles which tend to pack between thejournal and bearing and to wipe the lubricant otf the journal so as toprevent its adequate lubrication. Crumbling which occurs at the top ofthe lubricating packing produces non-uniform contact with the undersideof the journal so that, coupled with the low sponge capillarity, aserious shortage of adequate lubricant exists. The result of all suchlubrication failure is the familiar hot box with its ensuing loss oftime and money.

In my application No. 363,959, filed January 29, 1954, of which this isa continuation-in-part, there is shown a novel lubricating device forrailway car journal bearings and other like bearings which combines theadvantages of Waste and yarn packing lubricators with those of thesponge type lubricators while eliminating many of their inherentdisadvantages.

The lubricating device of the present invention is an improvement on thelubricating device disclosed in that application and comprises ayielding resilient sponge-like body which is enclosed in a sturdy bag ofsome suitable material, such as canvas. The bag enclosed sponge-likebody is interlaced with a large number of relatively heavy strands ofyarn which form a plurality of loops on opposite sides of the bagenclosed body, to provide adequate capillarity for liftinglubricantsthrough the body.

According to this invention the front and rear edges of the unit areprovided with substantially cylindrical buffers which serve the dualfunction of providing extra lubrication for the collar and fillet of thejournal, which are the journal portions subject to the greatest wear,and adequately anchoring the lubricating unit in position relative tothe journal. The front and rear edges of the bag enclosed sponge-likebody are also provided with multiple thicknesses of high capillaritycloth to provide increased lubricant flow to the bufiers.

The bag is preferably of a unitary construction and is provided with apair of integral lined pockets on opposite sides thereof for thereception of irons to facilitate insertion of the unit into a journalbox. The unit is further provided with edge areas in the lubricatingyarn surface which are devoid of yarn loops in order to prevent thegrabbing and climbing action which causes yarn packing and inadequatelubricant supply.

It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide alubricating device for the jouranls of railway cars and similarjournals, which combines the inherent advantages of waste and yarnpacking lubricators with those of sponge type lubricators whilesubstantially eliminating the inherent disadvantages of both.

It is another object of the invention to provide a journal boxlubricating unit having a high capillarity yarn pile for supplyinglubricant, and a yielding resilient oil impervious body combinedtherewith, to anchor said pile and to eliminate waste grab and resultanthot boxes. I

It is a further object of the invention to provide a journal boxlubricating unit having buffer means for supplying additional lubricantflow to the journal shoulder and fillet and for adequately anchoring tinlubricating unit against movement axially of the journal.

It is a further ob ect of the invention to provide a lubricating deviceof the foregoing type which may be easily installed and removed from ajournal box for inspection and maintenance purposes.

It is another object of the invention to provide a removable journal boxlubricating unit having iron recciving pockets on opposite edges thereofto facilitate the units insertion in a journal box.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a journal boxlubricating unit having a yielding resilient oil impervious body coveredwith a bag formed of a. single piece of cloth.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide ajournal box lubricating unit capable of preventing the access of dirtand foreign matter to the journal and bearing surfaces.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentupon reference to the following specification, claims and drawingswherein:

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view through a journal box having alubricator constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along line of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the n vel integrated lubricatingdevice of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a side view of the lubricator of the present invention, and

Figure 5 is a plan view of the cloth with which the spong-like member isenclosed.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the reference numeral itindicates a journal box in which a journal 12 rotates in contact with ajournal bearing 1- in a well known manner. Between the lower surface ofthe journal 12 and the bottom of the journal box is located thelubricating device of the present invention, and this is indicatedgenerally at 116. The lubricator 16 comprises a yielding, resilient, oiland acid resistant body 18 which is of a material stable at temperaturesfrom approximately -40 to 259 F. Neoprene rubber sponge is a preferredmaterial for the body 18, but other materials such as Duprene sponges orplastic vinyl sponges are also suitable as are sponge-like bodies suchas neoprene impregnated hair. Although the spongelilte body 18 is shownas being unitary, it may also consist of a plurality of layers.

The body 18 is enclosed in a bag 29 which is made of a suitable highcapillarity cloth material, preferably a heavy open straight warpcanvas. The bag 20 may preferably be made of a unitary piece of cloth,such as is shown in Figure 5, having pairs of side flaps 22, 24 and 26,23. These flaps are oppositely spaced at the sides of the top 36 andbottom 32 of the bag and are separated by opposed tabs 34 and 36 whichare joined to opposite sides of rear edge 38. The free ends of the top3t? and bottom 32 are provided with extensions 49 and 42, the extension4% having a length approximately equal to the length of the rear edge 38While the extension 42 is substantially longer.

In the assembled position the placed upon the bottom 3% of the bag cloth20 and the top 32 is folded over to cover the upper face or the bodyWhile the edge 38 covers its rear edge. The sides of the body 18 arecovered by the flaps 22, 24, 2t: and 28, which are sewn together andfolded over along the sides of the body as shown at 44. The elongatedextension 42 of the top 32 is folded downwardly at 46, as shown inFigure 4, and then folded upwardly at 47 to form a reversely bentportion 43 which terminates in a still further reversely bent flap 50.The upper portion of the first reverse bend 48 is stitched to the upperportion of the downward fold 46, as by stitching 52, while the bendjoining portions 46 and E3 is covered by the extension of the bottom 3%which forms a flap 4% sewn thereto by stitching 5%.

Suitable handles and 53 of a felt material having high wear resistanceand tensile strength may be sewn to the flaps ill and 5% as by stitchingall and 62. The side flaps 34 and 3:? at the back edge are folded aroundthe joined portions of 22 and 26, and 24 and 28 to form integral pocketsfor receiving conventional irons for inserting the unit. These pocketsare preferably sponge-like body 18 is lined with reversely bent liningelements 64 and '66 which may be made of duck or some similar material.The flaps 34, 36 are sewn on three edges to the lining elements, asshown at 68, to form pockets 70 which will not tear under the force exeted by the irons in inserting the lubricating unit in journal boxes.

According to the invention the bag enclosed spongelilte body 18 isinterlaced with a plurality of relatively heavy strands of yarn 72 whichform a plurality of loops 74 and 76 on the opposite faces of the bodyand This provides on each side of the lubricating device in a looselayer of yarn composed of high capillarity yarn loops. The strands 72may be made of any yarn having the capillary ability to lift lubricatingoil approximately three inches or more within twenty-four hours andmight comprise such yarns as nylon, cotton, wool, rayon, Orion, andordinary mop yarns. According to an important feature of the invention,the yarn in the body 18 and on the faces thereof is confined to asubstantially central portion to leave a pair of side borders 7.; and 80at opposite edges of the lubricating unit 16. The size of these yarnfree edges depends upon the size of the lubricating unit, but in onespecific example may be approximately one and a quarter to one and ahalf inches in width. It has been found that when the yarn layers arethus terminated short of the body edges substantially all catching andclimbing of the yarn loops upon shifting of the pad is eliminated. Withthis structure the lubricating unit 16 may be subjected to substantialshifting without causing the loops to catch beneath the bearing 14.

The front and rear ends of the bag enclosed body 18 are provided withbuffers 82 and 84, which consist of relatively large diameter pieces ofwick-like material, such as sash cord 36 and 38. These pieces ofwick-like material 86 and 88 are enclosed in reversely bent pieces offelt 9'0 and 92, which are secured to the bag by means of stitching 94.The front buffer 82 fits snugly against the shoulder 96 of the bearing12, while the rear butter 84 snugly contacts the surface of the fillet98. These large diameter felt enclosed Wick buffers firmly anchor thelubricating unit 16 against movement axially of the journal 12 and alsoprovide for extra lubrication at the shoulder 96 and fillet 98 which arethe portions of the journal subject to the most wear. An adequate supplyof additional lubricant is fed to these buffers by means of the pluralbag layers 4s, 48, and S0 at the front end of the lubricating unit 16,and by the multiple layers 64, and 68 of the lined pockets at the sidesof the lubricating unit at the rear end thereof.

In operation the lubricating unit 16 may be inserted through the door 11into the journal box 10. Inside the box it is placed in engagement withthe underside of the journal 1.2 and with the bottom of the box 10, asshown in Figures 1 and 2, and it is immersed in a pool of lubricant we.T he sponge-like body 18 provides the lubricator 16 with a resiliencywhich forces the upper yarn layer 74 into resilient engagement with asubstantial are along the entire length of the underside of the journal12. This same resiliency also forces the buffers 82 and 84 into firmengagement with a similarly substantial are of the shoulder 96 andfillet 98.

The lower loop layer 76 becomes thoroughly saturated with oil from thepool 19%, and the oil passes upwardly by capillary action through thestrands '72 to saturate the layer of loops '74 in such a manner as tocontinuously apply oil to the under surface of the journal 12. As willbe apparent from reference to Figures 1 and 2, the heavy pile of loops74 is anchored against movement by the sponge like body 18 and thislargely prevents distortion or bunching of the loops due to suddenjarring or displacement of the journal 12 relative to the journal box10. Where such displacement does take place the occurrence of grabbing,climbing or bunching is prevented by the fact that the loop layer 74 isconfined to the substantially central portion of the body 18 and cannotreach the juncture of the journal surface and the hearing, as may beseen in Figure 2. Since the yarn layer or pile is held in resilient andyielding engagement with the underside of the journal 12, and since thegrabbing and bunching with its resulting pressure and glazing of theyarn is eliminated, the oil supply to the journal is continuous anduniform over its entire surface.

The resilient sponge like body 18, being protected against breaking andcrumbling by bag 20, exerts the necessary force to compensate for yarnwear and insures a continuous and adequate supply of lubricant to thejournal. The buffers 82 and 84 are urged into resilient engagement withthe shoulder 96 and fillet 98 of the journal and this serves to minimizethe entrance of dirt and other foreign matter into the journal box andinto the pile layer 74. These built up sections of the lubricating unit16 also prevent Wear of the edge portions of the bag 29 and provideadditional lubrication and lubricator anchoring as pointed outhereinbefore.

Handles 56 and 58 permit easy removal of the lubricator device 16 forinspection, replacement, or the like, while lined pockets 70 permitquick and simple insertion of the lubricator without tearing of the bag.When one layer of yarn loops becomes excessively worn after a longperiod of use, the lubricator 16 may be removed, inverted, andreinserted with the unused yarn layer in engagement with the undersideof the journal 12 so that the effective life of the lubricator 16 isdoubled.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that there is provided accordingto this invention a simple, inexpensive, integrated journal and bearinglubricator having lubricant applying means of high capillarity which areurged into position by means of a resilient body which retains itsresiliency over long periods of time without breaking or crumbling. Thenew lubricator unit substantially eliminates grabbing, climbing, orbunching of the yarn pile and provides for adequate anchoring of theunit with respect to the journal. In addition the unit provides forincreased supply of lubricant to the journal shoulder and fillet.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presentembodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrativeand not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by theappended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and allchanges which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of theclaims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States LettersPatent is:

l. A lubricating device comprising; an oil resistant sponge-like bodyhaving edges and a pair of opposed faces, a cloth bag substantiallyenclosing said body, a plurality of strands of yarn interlacing saidbody and bag to form exposed layers of yarn on the opposed faces of saidbody and bag, a pair of substantially parallel buffer members of alarger diameter than said yarn disposed on opposite edges of one of saidopposed faces, and a plurality of layers of cloth in capillarycommunication with one of said buffer members joining said opposed facesof said bag.

2. A lubricating device comprising; an oil resistant sponge-like bodyhaving edges and a pair of opposed faces, a cloth bag substantiallyenclosing said body, a plurality of strands of yarn interlacing saidbody and bag to form exposed layers of yarn on the opposed faces of saidbody and said bag, a pair of substantially parallel buffer membersdisposed on opposite edges of one of said opposed faces, each of saidbuffer members comprising a wick element enclosed in a reversely bentpiece of cloth sewn to said bag, and a plurality of layers of cloth incapillary communication with the cloth enclosing one of said wickelements, said layers of cloth covering one 6 edge of said body andjoining said onnosed faces of said bag.

3. A lubricating device comprising; an oil resistant sponge-like bodyhaving edges and a pair of opposed faces, a cloth bag substantiallyenclosing said body, a plurality of strands of yarn interlacing saidbody and bag to form exposed layers of yarn on the opposed faces of saidbody and said bag, a first pair of substantially parallel buffer membersdisposed on opposite edges of one of said opposed faces, a second pairof substantially parallel buffer members disposed on opposite edges ofthe other of said opposed faces, all of said buffer members beingsubstantially parallel, and a plurality of layers of cloth providingcapillary communication between at least two of said buffer membersacross an edge of said body.

4. A lubricating device comprising; an oil resistant sponge-like bodyhaving edges and a pair of opposed faces, a cloth bag substantiallyenclosing said body, a plurality of strands of yarn interlacing saidbody and bag to form exposed layers of yarn on the opposed faces of saidbody and said bag, a first pair of substantially parallel buffer membersdisposed on opposite edges of one of said opposed faces, a second pairof substantially parallel buffer members disposed on opposite edges ofthe other of said opposed faces, all of said buffer mem bers beingsubstantially parallel, each of said buffer member comprising a Wickmember having a larger diameter than said yarn, said Wick members beingenclosed in reversely bent pieces of cloth sewn to said bag, and aplurality of layers of cloth providing capillary communication betweenat least two of said buffer members across an edge of said body.

5. A lubricating device comprising; an oil resistant sponge-like bodyhaving edges and a pair of opposed faces, a bag substantially enclosingsaid body, a plurality of strands of yarn interlacing said body and bagto form exposed layers of yarn on the opposed faces of said body and bagat least one of said layers of yarn terminating short of at least twoedges of said bag, a first pair of substantially parallel buffer membersdisposed on opposite edges of one of said opposed faces, a second pairof substantially parallel buffer members disposed on opposite edges ofthe other ofsaid opposed faces, all of said buffer members beingsubstantially parallel, and a plurality of layers of cloth providingcapillary communication between at least two of said buffer membersacross an edge of said body.

6. A lubricating device comprising; an oil resistant sponge-like bodyhaving a pair of opposed edges and a pair of opposed faces, a bagsubstantially enclosing said body, a plurality of strands of yarninterlacing said body and bag to form a layer of exposed yarn on onesurface of said bag, and a pair of cloth pockets afiixed to saidopposite edges of said sponge-like body.

7. A lubricating device comprising; an oil resistant sponge-like bodyhaving a pair of opposed edges and a pair of opposed faces, a bagsubstantially enclosing said body, a plurality of strands of yarninterlacing said body and bag to form layers of exposed yarn on theopposed faces of said body and bag, said layers of yarn terminatingshort of at east two edges of said bag, a first pair of substantiallyparallel buffer members disposed on opposite edges of one of saidopposed faces, a second pair of substantially parallel buffer membersdisposed on opposite edges of the other of said opposed faces, aplurality of layers of cloth providing capillary communication betweenat least two of said buffer members across an edge of said body, and apair of cloth pockets affixed to opposite edges of said body.

8. A lubricating device comprising; an oil resistant sponge-like body ofsubstantially parallelopiped shape, a bag substantially enclosing saidmember, said bag comprising a single piece of cloth bent into U-shape sothat the bottom of the U covers one edge of said parallelopiped whilethe legs of said U forms covers for opposite faces of saidparallelepiped, said face covers and said edge cover extending beyondthe edges of said parallelopiped, the parallel side extensions of saidface covers being bent at right angles to said faces to form covers foropposite sides of said parallelopiped, the extensions of the edgecovering forming the bottom of the U being bent at right angles to saidedge to cover overlapped portions of the side extensions of said facecovers, the extension of the free edge of one of said face covers beingbent at right angles to said face to form the final edge cover, theextension of the free edge of said other face cover being reversely bentand such reversely bent portion bent at right angles to said face tocover said free edge extension of the other face cover, and a pluralityof strands of yarn interlacing said sponge-like member and bag to form alayer of exposed yarn on one surface of said bag.

9. A lubricator for a railroad journal corn-prising a rectangular padhaving substantially flat top and bottom surfaces, said pad being formedof oil-resistant, resilient sponge, a cloth bag substantially enclosingsaid sponge and a plurality of strands of yarn interlaced through saidsponge and bag from top to bottom, said strands of yarn having loopsextending above the top surface of the pad to form a yarn layer on saidtop surface, the strands of yarn extending through said pad serving toraise oil by capillary action to said yarn surface.

10. A lubricator for a railroad journal as defined in claim 9 in whichthe strands of yarn have loops extending below said bottom surface.

11. A lubricator for a railroad journal as defined in claim 9 includinga projection of capillary material extending along the top edge of thefront surface adapted to engage the flange of a journal to position thelubricator.

12. A lubricator for a vehicle, having a journal having a flange at itsouter end and a. fillet at its inner end, a bearing for said journal anda journal box enclosing said bearing and journal, box having alubricating well below said journal with a lubricant therein, saidlubricator comprising an oil resistant, resilient sponge, a cloth bagsubstantially enclosing said sponge, a plurality of strands of yarninterlaced through said sponge and bag, said yarns having loops at theend thereof on one surface of said bag to form a yarn layer on saidsurface, whereby oil is raised by capillary action through said strandsto said layer adjacent said journal for lubricating the same, aprojection formed of capillary material extending along one edge o saidlubricator adapted to engage said jouraoge and a projection formed ofcapillary iding along the opposite edge of said lubricator adapted toengage said journal and said fillet.

13. in a vehicle, a journal having a pair of axially spaced shoulders, abearing for said journal, a journal box enclosin said bearing andjournal, said box having a lubri cll below said journal with a lubricanttherein, a ll. tor cornorising an oil resistant resilient sponge, acloth bag substantially enclosing said sponge, a plurality of strands ofyarn interlaced through said sponge and bag, said yarns having loops atthe end thereof on one surface of said bag to form yarn layer on saidsurface, whereby oil is raised by capillary action through said strandsto said layer adjacent said journal for lubricating the same, aprojection extending along one end of said lubricator adapted to e oneof said journal shoulders and a projection ex nding on the other end ofsaid lubricator adapted to engage the other of said shoulders.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 91,000Devan June 8, 1869 2,291,483 Miller July 28, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS740,392 France Jan. 25, 1933

